Screwworm
Guides
Ascalapha odorata
black witch, black witch moth, mariposa de la muerte, duppy bat, mariposa-bruxa, ura, money moth, money bat
The black witch moth (Ascalapha odorata) is a large, bat-shaped nocturnal moth and the largest noctuoid in the continental United States. Females reach wingspans up to 24 cm, while males are smaller at approximately 12 cm. The species ranges from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America to Brazil and Argentina, with migratory populations reaching as far north as Canada. It holds prominent cultural significance across Latin America and the Caribbean, where it is widely associated with death, misfortune, and spiritual beliefs.
nocturnalmigratoryfolklorepestcaterpillarlarge-mothlegume-feederfruit-feedercultural-significancedeath-omenCaribbeanLatin-AmericaHawaii-introducedmothLepidopteraErebidaeAscalaphaAscalapha-odoratablack-witchblack-witch-mothmariposa-de-la-muerteduppy-batmariposa-bruxauramoney-mothmoney-batPhalaena-odorataLinnaeus-1758largest-noctuoidcontinental-USbat-shapediridescentwhite-bargreen-spotorange-spotcomma-spotnine-spot24-cm-wingspan12-cm-wingspan7-cm-caterpillarAcaciaGymnocladus-dioicusKentucky-coffeetreeSenna-alatacandle-bushmesquiteFicusbananaoverripe-fruitrainforestagricultural-pestMexicoCentral-AmericaSouth-AmericaBrazilArgentinaUnited-StatesCanadaHawaiimigrationspringsummerdeathmisfortunespiritualsoulharbingerlotterymoneyhair-lossduppyghostscrewwormDermatobia-hominismisidentificationSilence-of-the-LambsBuffalo-BillKendrick-LamarTo-Pimp-a-ButterflyThysania-agrippinawhite-witchThysania-zenobiaowl-mothnoctuidErebinaehexapodarthropodinsectanimaleukaryotemetazoaanimaliaarthropodainsectanoctuoideaspeciesacceptedexact-match32867-observationsiNaturalistGBIFCatalogue-of-LifeNCBIWikipediaentomologyguidestructuredrecordtaxonconservativeaccurateinformativefactualclarityusefulnessno-speculationno-inferenceno-fabricationno-repetitionunique-contentcautious-languagedirect-sentencesconcrete-statementshigh-completenessmedium-completenesslow-completenessno-inferred-contentnull-for-unsupportedfield-intentstyle-rulesquality-rulesJSON-schemaoutput-formatno-commentaryno-extra-fieldsno-fluffno-fillerno-taxonomy-repetitionno-technical-jargonno-vague-generalizationsno-'like-most-insects'no-'typically-feeds-on-plants'has-been-observedis-known-tosupportedjustifiedexplicitly-justifiedspecies-level-traitshigher-taxaphysical-description-onlyhow-to-distinguishenvironment-conditionsgeographic-range-onlytiming-of-activityfeeding-habitsdevelopmental-stagesnotable-actionsecosystem-roleinteraction-with-humansreason-for-similaritymeaningful-misconceptionsimportant-additional-contextcleardirectconciseusefulreliablesparse-datawell-supportedpartialmost-fieldsCochliomyia
New World screwworm flies, screwworm flies
Cochliomyia is a genus of blowflies (family Calliphoridae) comprising four species: C. macellaria, C. hominivorax, C. aldrichi, and C. minima. The genus is commonly known as New World screwworm flies, distinguished from Old World screwworms. C. hominivorax, the primary screwworm, is an obligate parasite whose larvae feed on living tissue, causing severe myiasis in livestock, wildlife, and humans. C. macellaria, the secondary screwworm, feeds only on necrotic tissue and carrion. The primary screwworm has been eradicated from North America through the sterile insect technique, though it persists in parts of Central and South America.
Cochliomyia macellaria
secondary screwworm, secondary screwworm fly
Cochliomyia macellaria, the secondary screwworm, is a blow fly in the family Calliphoridae distributed throughout the Americas from southern Canada to Patagonia. The species is a specialist carrion colonizer whose larvae feed on necrotic tissue, distinguishing it from the primary screwworm (C. hominivorax) which attacks living tissue. Adults exhibit metallic blue-green coloration with orange-red eyes and head. The species holds significant forensic importance for postmortem interval estimation and has medical-veterinary relevance as a cause of secondary myiasis in livestock and humans.